Many aircraft use an aircraft cabin air filtration system to clean the cabin air. These systems usually include an air filter, such as a hepa-filter, that cleans the air but may become obstructed during use, thereby providing reduced airflow. In these situations, the cabin air filtration system may be unable to meet the system air flow requirements. In some instances, the air filter is an optional component of the system, so it may not be regularly serviced. Should the air filter become obstructed, it may not be noticed that there is inadequate airflow through the system. And even if it is noticed, there may not be time or resources to clean or replace the air filter, especially during flight.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a filter bypass device in the aircraft cabin air filtration system to meet the air flow requirements in case where the air filter becomes obstructed. In addition, it is desirable that the filter bypass device operate automatically when the air filter becomes obstructed. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background